Afghanistan: Nationwide air traffic disruptions likely following Pakistani airspace closure Feb. 27

Event

Disruptions (delays and cancelations) at airports across Afghanistan, notably at Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport (KBL) are likely on Wednesday, February 27, following the closure of the Pakistani airspace earlier in the day. Emirates airline announced all scheduled flights between Dubai and Kabul will be impacted and canceled between February 27-28. It remains unclear if the Afghan airspace is or will be closed, however, severe flight disruptions are likely in the coming hours and potentially in the coming days.

Context

Authorities in Pakistan closed the airspace over Pakistan earlier in the day on February 27 after the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) reportedly shot down two Indian Air Force (IAF) jets in Pakistani airspace in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

Tensions significantly increased between Pakistan and India after the IAF conducted airstrikes on a suspected Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) camp near Balakot (Pakistan) on February 26. Indian officials claim the strikes were a "pre-emptive, non-military" strike in response to credible intelligence that JeM was planning another suicide attack in India.

Advice

Impacted travelers are advised to monitor developments to the situation and contact their airline for additional information.